12) Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: 'Raising Sand'

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss come from completely different end of the musical spectrum. On the one hand we have Plant, the lead singer of the seminal band, Led Zeppelin, transcending all genres and infusing rock with blues, rockabilly, soul, funk and just about everything else in between. He epitomized the hedonistic lifestyle of a rock star; flamboyant, drugs, all night parties, sex orgies, the stories are legendary. On the other hand we have Krauss, a legend in her own right but from the more laid back genre of bluegrass, more at home with a fiddle and an early night.

Therefore placing these two misfits together seems to be a major mistake. It’s not just their personalities but Plant is just too overpowering for Alison to ever compete with. Yet, however unlikely the combination; the result is truly stunning and is due to three main reasons. The first is producer T Bone Burnett. His work on this album is nothing short of masterful. The second is the impeccable choice of material, thanks again to Burnett. All of which are cover versions yet many are reworked into unrecognizable and unique versions. The third is the common ground both singers seem to have reached almost effortlessly. This is largely achieved by the two singers taking turns at lead vocals. However, there are many examples of them singing together. The emotion displayed between these two legends is raw and beautiful throughout. Furthermore, the harmonies produced are tantalizing yet without losing their distinctive sound.

The opener ‘Rich Woman’ is as stunning as an opener can get with some intricate guitar work and excellent production. Similarly, ‘Killing the Blues’ is as good as the first song. ‘Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us’ showcases Alison’s angelic vocals soaring over a laid back fiddle and minimal instrumentalism, Plant simply provides backing vocals and remains incredibly restrained. ‘Polly Come Home’ is a slow tortured crawl compared to the original yet still hits the nail firmly on the head. ‘Gone Gone Gone’ is a masterpiece. This upbeat number was already a fantastic song by the Everly Brothers but this version just seems even classier and, dare I say, they trump the harmonies of the Everly’s. A clear example both can sing at the same time and not dominate one another, superb. ‘Through the Morning, Through the Night’ again see’s Alison take the lead with amazing form. ‘Please Read The Letter’ is a personal favorite of mine, an amazing collaboration and timeless song, perfectly fitting the country styling. ‘Trampled Rose’ is mesmerizing and has a rather gypsy feel to it. Then Plant appears to have been given some reign to rock out a bit with ‘Fortune Teller’ the vocals are terrific. ‘Stick With Me Baby’ is an odd little effort but likeable nonetheless. ‘Nothin’ was a miserable song to begin with yet Plant delves even deeper into the song to make you want to weep out loud. ‘Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson’ is another of the upbeat numbers but I feel it would maybe have worked better with Plant on lead. ‘Your Long Journey’ is as good an ending as he opener was. To sum up an absolute timeless masterpiece! Here at number twelve is Robert Plant and Alison Krauss with Raising Sand.